The mink has killed Nelson the rabbit.
Every summer Nelson lives outside in a shabby old chicken tractor under the big tree but this year I deemed the chicken tractor with its broken door; unsafe. So I brought her into the chicken hospital which is built like Fort Knox – specifically to keep animals safe from predators.
Everything works until it doesn’t and most errors have a collection of causes. This incident was no exception.
I had been distracted with children visiting yesterday; a big family dinner, and the kids and I had been feeding the rabbit scraps. I was hosting a large group and working on getting all the food on the table. Darting back and forth. I did not double check that they had latched the door all the way shut. It was my job to make sure she was secure.
Then last night we got this warning blaring through the phones.
So I quickly ran out and checked the barn doors and the calves. And Nelson’s Easterly door. And the chickens. All the pigs were tucked up in their beds already. Boo would not come outside with me. Any sign of a storm at all and he goes straight under the bed. So I did not have my hunter but that was OK. All seemed well and I was running, and did not do my checks thoroughly enough.
A dust storm caused a 72 car pile up on a highway not far from here the other day, I had never even heard of dust storms and huge dust devils around here before but I did not want to get caught in one.
As the wind blew up, I finished fast and ran for the house. It was around 9pm.
Then these warnings pealed out from the phone.
Then the storm escalated into one of the loudest storms I have experienced here. The electricity went off. The world went mad. I had not been expecting this at all. The wind was relentless and fierce, rocking the house and dropping inches of rain and hail. The lightening lasted literally hours. The storm seemed to be sitting above us. I worried for my cows in the field with all this lightening.
The wind must have blown Nelsons little top Westerly door open. His hutch has strong doors, it was very safe, so the door cannot have been latched properly. And early this morning the bastard mink must have taken advantage of the open door. The bastard. He had probably been sniffing round for days looking for a way in.
Poor Nelson.
Totally my fault.
Here is a little of the dramatic storm that is the sound track to Nelsons eulogy.
The clattering you hear on the video was hail. The continuous roar of wind and rain. The storm was so loud we heard nothing else.
I did hear Mr Flowers shriek his alarm early this morning but I thought he was shrieking at the calves. He is still not used to them being in there.
I was out super early to check the calves (when I discovered Nelsons body) but I must have just missed the mink. Bastard. Boo had refused to come with me – sure that the storm might still get him.
This all pales next to the repeated news we read of violent gunshot deaths here in the USA. Every week it seems to me – it feels like there are more. Schools, homes and supermarkets, streets and shopping malls. It worries me a lot. How unsafe we are. How angry people are. My one rabbit cannot compare.
But there you are; a wee rabbit dies because of my negligence and I feel unfurled. All the misery every single one of us carries because we are human and feel stuff can be triggered by the smallest death.
So the subconscious Sorrow Box, that lives just below our surface, opens its door just a little to let another rose of sadness hop through, then softly closes the door again with a click of the key, and allows us to forgive ourselves and carry on. The Sorrow Box carries it all for us. I have to let her go now.
And you and I carry on. The better for knowing a wee silver wescue wabbit.
Poor old Nelson.
Celi
The Kitchen's Garden 
80 responses to “Sorrowful News from the Farmy This Morning.”
I am so sorry. (((Hugs))) ❤️
I feel the weight along with you.
Thank you Sherry. This wonderful community helps us sort things through. So lucky I am to have you all.
I know the heartbreak of caring for animals whose lives are brief & whose deaths we must endure. When I lived in the country we had the dastardly murdering weasel who wreaked havoc several times though we built fortresses against him. I am so very sad for your beautiful good bunny & ours too through your sharing her stories & photos with us. Bless Nelson’s sweet heart. What a horrible night.
Nelson did have a sweet heart. It was so sad.
I am sorry to hear this!! Like previous comments, you are a caretaker extraordinaire of all your animals and plants, trees!!
It’s hard to loose a friend!!
Take care
The mink is a senseless killer. I just found a dead duck as well – so they will go back to being locked up. The mink never comes down this far because they always stick so close to water but I think the rivers of rain emboldened it. The ducks have been out for over a year now without being bothered.
What a storm. I’m sorry that your Beloved Nelson fell victim to that evil, ugly mink. Bless Nelson’s little heart. He holds a spot in our own hearts.
Yes. Nelson brings us good memories. Thank you Diana.
Oh Nelson! I know it is life but I am sad. I would relentlessly hunt that bastard mink for you if I could. I am also glad everyone else is safe after that weather. Astounding.
Yes it is sad. Hopefully we get this mink though I am afraid it may not be the only one.
Oh I am so sad and sorry – my eyes are filling up with tears.
Nelson was a dear little wabbit and we all loved him!
That weather was so scary- we have a few hurricanes in the
the Pacific Northwest but that storm you filmed was beyond scary.
Take care and big hugs to all especially to you.
It was a wild night Kathe. I hope we don’t have another of those any time soon. Though it brought a lot of rain.
Awww sweetie pie- take care and I love how your tend to the farmy!
Cece, in June of 2009 my mother died. I had a good relationship with her—lucky, I know. And she was 92 so I felt good we’d had her for so long. I grieved her but not deeply if you know what I mean. In August that year my beloved pug died and I came undone. It was as if all the sorrow for my mother was unleashed because of my dog’s death. So that sorrow that is right beneath the surface rose. And yes, horrible, awful things are happening and yet I grieve little Nelson with you deeply. It’s a microcosm for it all. And please quite blaming yourself. Love and hugs.
Yes , Charlotte, that is exactly it. One thing can go wring and all your sorrows rise up to engulf it. We need to get together about SubStack again soon – I am trying to work out how to pretty up the front page.
Your comment was so heartfelt and loving. Hugs to you and your family.
Oh oh boy. I’m so sorry to hear about Nelson, such a sweet little tyke, so individual. You provided her a wonderful life. You, who do so much for animals in your care, 1000% for all your creatures every day, yet life is cruel with this irony. And now I really really hate minks–it has to be another mink–Boo “took good care” of the first one.
That storm looked like Dorothy’s in The Wizard of Oz. Very scary! Yes quite a eulogy for Nelson. Maybe the storm scared her way before the mink. Big hugs, Cecilia.
When I watch that storm video I keep imagining I see someone walking down the track. But it is just a branch blowing. (I think) It was quite wild last night. Thank you for your kind words. c
Oh, Cecilia. What a sad sad experience, loosing such a sweet little gal (despite the shoe-chewing. ) I’m hoping that horrible dust storm scared her so much, she was gone long before the mink got to her. Hugs galore!
These dust storms are new to me. My chewed up jandals are funny now – she did chew on just about everything!
I’m so sorry
As am I. It has been a pig of a day actually – very hard to concentrate. Because I know it is coming back.
I’m so sorry to hear about Nelson. She was a sweet, beautiful little girl and well loved. We had a loss here last week. My granddaughter had to put down one of her cats, he was only 2 years old but there was something badly wrong and there was nothing the vet could do, his full brother has been looking for him. This is the first loss of a pet my granddaughter had had to deal with and it’s hard for her. I know she made the right choice. He was such a wonderfully cuddly loving cat. I don’t think it’s possible to go through life without losses along the line, some of them are just harder than others.
It is true. Some losses are harder than others. Sad for your granddaughter but she did the right thing and I hope that was some consolation. I always say it is better to outlive our pets. I hope she feels better soon. c
She is coping. Fortunately she’s got a big distraction with her 7 month old son. Nothing like a baby in the house to keep your attention where it belongs.
Celi, you have accepted responsibility, although your part in this sadness is tiny. And now, we forgive you. You are absolved, be free of the guilt. Feel the pain, but don’t continue to beat yourself up. It is the way of Nature to be ruthless, violent and beastly as well as beautiful and abundant and generous. The mink is acting according to its nature. You and Boo will see it off in the coming days, and Nelson will live on here in the Farmy blog, in pictures and remembered small rabbit ways. I’m glad the rest of you came through all that natural violence safely.
Yes, I do know it is natural – that does not mean I accept it. There is plenty of wild fowl for it to hunt. I will keep walking the perimeter with the dogs – it is the best I can do.
Bastard mink indeed. Opportunists. And the storm was its best shot. I’m sorry about Nelson ♡
Usually Boo and I send Boo out to do a few tours in the night but with that dreadful storm he had no hope of seeing anything even if he would get out from under the bed! We have been out twice already tonight. Extra vigilant until I get it.
How very sad, I still carry guilt for a night when I did not close the door on the pen my 2 ducks lived in and a raccoon got one of them. Perhaps the activists who release minks should be made to see the carnage they cause.
I know Sherry – I know just what you mean. c
Shoot!!! So sad. A dang mink or coon got all the wild Wood Duck’s eggs two years ago but this morning I saw a pair investigating the wood duck house (no one moved in there last year) so I’m hopeful the tragedy has been forgotten…
I hate those minks – they just seem to kill as many animals as they can. A really bad day Gretchen.